Icy Roads Cause Late School Buses

ROCKFORD (WIFR) – Today on Facebook, many parents told us about late school buses in District 205. 23 News Reporter Lauren Kravets spoke with one frustrated parent and the District to find out what happened.

On a cold, winter day, the last thing anyone wants to do is stand outside, but that's exactly what Tannya Loza did this morning.

Loza waited with her daughter at the school bus stop for 40 minutes, without any sign of it coming. That's when she called the transportation center and was put on hold.

"I was just like I'm going to go home and as I was taking off from the bus stop, dispatch said the buses were running up to an hour late."

The district says icy, un-salted roads, caused the delay and dozens of buses got stuck.

"Once they start sliding, even in the snow, you can't stop them." Bus driver Paulette Watson says it's not always easy behind this wheel. "It was dangerous this morning, it was scary," said Watson.

Loza says she understands we can't control the weather, but feels there should be a way to notify parents when buses are running late.

However, with 221 bus routes the district says right now, that's impossible. The district says they'll be installing GPS locators on buses next month. Parents will be able to sign up that way they can check to see where their child's bus is.

Thankfully, there were not any major school bus accidents this morning. We were told that almost every school bus was late and at one point this morning, about 20 buses were stuck at the same time. This afternoon, district vehicles were on stand by waiting to help in case buses got stuck.

Our thanks goes out to Tanya, Christine, and Sandy for weighing this morning on the Pulse. Do you have an idea for a story? If so, be sure to join us for the Pulse! The Pulse is held every weekday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Facebook. Be a part of the news and tell us what you think should be covered! To become our fan on Facebook, you can find us at likewifr.com.

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